Mobile Network Service Providers Research Articles

Performance Evaluation of Mobile Network Service Delivered Within Federal Polytechnic Bali and Its Environs; With a Focus on 2G and 3G Technologies

Monitoring the QoS (Quality of Service) of mobile network service providers is key if end users must derive maximum satisfaction from the numerous mobile services provided to them. In this research, data was collected via drive test, using mobile phones, Test Mobile System (TEMS) software a technology used by telecom operators to measure, analyze, and optimize their mobile networks, and Mapinfo software for post processing. For 2G technology, four parameters were analyzed which are Rx Lev (Received Signal Level), and Rx Qual (Received Signal Quality), while for 3G technology three parameters were analyzed which are RSCP (Received Signal Code Power), Ec/Io, and downlink throughput. The serving cells, Broadcast control channels as well as the Primary scrambling codes for all mobile network operators were recorded. The data collected was for MTN, Airtel and GLOBACOM (Glo) Networks, and the area of study comprised Bali metropolis, Maihula, Gazuba and Garbabi. It was deduced that the Rx_Lev range of negative 10dBm to negative 65dBm covered just 4.53%, 4.31% and 6.62% of the total route driven for MTN, Airtel and Glo respectively, which falls below the 75% requirement by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC). It was recommended amongst others the physical optimizations be carried out for PSC 19, 46, 70, 205, 313, 368 in order to improve coverage, quality and downlink throughput. The results of this study have practical implications for all mobile network operators within the area of study as it provides valuable information enabling them to enhance their network infrastructure and services in order to meet set key performance indicators (KPIs) by the regulator, as well as ensure user derive satisfaction.

Factors that Affect the Adoption of Mobile Banking in Case Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Gambella People’s National Regional State Branch, Gambella, Ethiopia

The primary aim of this study was to examine factors influencing consumers’ adoption of mobile banking services Gambella region, Ethiopia. From the literature, seven determinant factors were identified. Each variable were measured by using yes or no questions. This study combines TAM and IDT along with perceived risk, awareness constructs and perceive trust. The primary data were collected using questionnaires distributed to customers of Commercial bank of Ethiopia for mobile banking users. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to address the research objectives and binary logistic regression analysis employed. The results revealed that, with exception of perceived risk, perceived usefulness, perceive ease of use; perceive trust, performance expectancy and awareness have positive and statistically significant with the adoption of mobile banking. This study recommended that, banks should encourage and create awareness to the public through emphasizing the benefits or advantages that can be gained from the mobile banking services to increase the adoption level and to provide further directions into mobile banking strategies for mobile network operators, banks and service provider to design and implement mobile banking services to yield higher consumer acceptance.

Technologies and Business Practices of Mobile Network Service Providers in Ghana

Technologies and Business Practices of Mobile Network Service Providers in Ghana

BRAND CHOICE INFLUENCING FACTORS AND CUSTOMER PREFERENCE LEVEL OF MOBILE NETWORK SERVICE PROVIDERS

As customers switch from one network to another, researchers argue over the propelling factors behind their switching behaviour. Most people in other zones of the country believe that an average Igbo man does not joke with money, to the extent that other factors are considered inconsequential. With this in view, one begins to wonder if tarrif is the major factor that an average subscriber in the south east zone considers to switch brands. This work, therefore, examined brand choice influencing factors and customer preference level of mobile network service providers, and adopted descriptive research design. Three hundred and ninety-one copies of questionnaire were administered on GSM users spread over the Southeastern parts of Nigeria to make possible the testing of three hypotheses formulated. Using SPSS, multiple regression was run to ascertain the effect of each of the independent variables: network quality, tariff level and complaint management on the dependent variable, customer brand preference level. Findings revealed that the three variables had significant relationships with customer brand preference. However, network quality made the highest contribution to Customer Preference Level, followed by tariff level and finally, complaint management, which made the least contribution. Since Network Quality made the greatest contribution to customer preference level, the researchers recommended that GSM service providers in Nigeria should creatively and innovatively apply the model developed by this work to enhance the quality of their service delivery.

Demand-Oriented Fog-RAN Slicing With Self-Adaptation Via Deep Reinforcement Learning

As one of the key technologies for the 6G system, network slicing can enable the concurrent provisioning of heterogeneous quality of services (QoS) on various types of services under one Fog-RAN architecture. However, effective slicing of Fog-RAN is very challenging due to the diversification of QoS requirements and demand fluctuation. In this paper, we propose a demand-oriented two-tier Fog-RAN slicing trading framework to facilitate the slice generation between the mobile network operator (MNO) and service providers (SPs), and also the slice adaptation among SPs with the consideration of three service types, including data transmission, computation offloading and content caching. In Tier-I, a slice generation mechanism is developed to enable the MNO to provide customized slices for SPs by jointly scheduling 3D resources (communication, computing and caching resources) in a large time scale. In Tier-II, a slice adaptation mechanism is designed based on the deep reinforcement learning approach to facilitate SPs to perform effective resource adjustment on their own slices by purchasing/selling resources from/to other SPs in a small time scale. Numerical results show that the proposed scheme can satisfy the various QoS requirements through the 3D resource scheduling, and also improve the resource utilization owing to the proactive slice adaptation. Comparing with the traditional semi-dynamic slicing manner, the adaptive adjustment could improve the resource utilization about <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$30\%$</tex-math></inline-formula> .

Porter’s Generic Competitive Strategies, Alliance Partnerships and Firm Performance of Mobile Telephone Network Service Providers in Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate on focus strategy, partnership alliances and firm performance of mobile telephone network service providers in Kenya.&#x0D; Methodology: The study used positivism research philosophy and descriptive research design methodology. The target population was all the 66 mobile telephone network service providers in Kenya. Primary data was gathered through use of structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression modeling was used to aid in data analysis.&#x0D; Findings: Descriptive analysis portrayed that the 61 mobile telephone network service providers in Kenya registered had increased returns with a composite score of 3.84. Hierarchical regression results portrayed that partnership alliances moderated the relationship between focus strategy and performance of mobile telephone network service providers in Kenya as far as Equity Alliance component is concerned with (p value of .04) which is less than the critical value (.05). Franchises, Diagonal alliances, Focus Strategy, Vertical alliances, Joint Ventures, Equity alliances, and Horizontal alliances had no statistically significant moderating effect.&#x0D; Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Generally, firms should consider partnership alliances as a conditional factor in the relationship between focus strategy and firm performance other than treating it as a pure predictor. Further, the management of mobile telephone network service providers in Kenya should consider the extent to which individual components of partnership alliances moderate Porters’ competitive strategies to performance linkage. On the other hand, the current study is possibly the first of its kind in making distinct involvement of strategic management knowledge frontiers. This was achieved through harmonizing and endorsing the hypotheses of the three theories that while Porter’s generic differentiation strategy significantly influence performance of mobile telephone network service providers in Kenya, the moderating effect of alliance partnerships gives a more comprehensive explanation to management as to why many such firms prefer the alliance partnerships instead of an apparent increase in profitability caused by the porter’s strategic moves. That is, the Resource Based View Theory, syncretic paradigm theory and transaction cost theory have received an empirical support through this study for the theories are relevant to strategic decisions other than the Porters ones which affects the overall business objectives. Therefore, the three theories are significant to the current study since they alert managers to contrast in-house transaction costs with outdoor costs before choosing to execute inside or without. &#x0D;

Linking Organisational Performance and Corporate Social Responsibility

Purpose: Business organisations are at the core of sustainable development, and they can be no longer isolated from social concerns and issues where they operate and exist. While many firms have applied CSR practices successfully and made it fruitful for both business and society, many others are still struggling as no one strategy can usually fit all and CSR initiatives does not promise the same payoffs among different companies and sectors. In this context, the study aims to examine the link between organisational performance and CSR and provide a milestone that would help business organisations to successfully apply CSR initiatives. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing upon field research, 378 questionnaires were collected from various managerial and non-managerial employees of the mobile network operators in Egypt to examine the research hypotheses. Findings: Extending the relation between organisational performance and CSR, this paper demonstrates the heterogeneous ways in which organisational performance can be a key determinant for being engaged in successful CSR initiatives. It argued how organisational performanceــmaterialised in integrating business-related social issues into the organisational strategy, financial performance, CSR capability responsiveness, and social performanceــ can help business organisation establish a win-win situation and create a business-society shared value. Research limitations/implications: The research focuses on four business organisations operating as mobile network service providers in Egypt. Practical implications: The research findings have important implications, more specifically, for firms willing to engage for successful CSR practices, and how social issues and concerns can be translated into business opportunities to motivate business organisations to address them. Social implications: CSR is still controversial to a great extent; especially from an empirical perspective in less developed and developing countries like Egypt, where environmental and social considerations are limited; regarded as a task to be done by a few (Gov., NGOs, NPO, etc.); and where CSR activities are carried through philanthropic perspective. This research implies the possibility to look at social issues and concerns as an opportunity for strategic CSR that create a shared value for business and society and formulate a win-win situation. Originality/value: This paper’s contribution is threefold. First, theoretically, the literature on organisational performance and CSR is extended by considering how they can complement one another. The nuanced focus on this relation provides a “zoom in” that organisational performance is a key success factor while considering CSR. Second, the literature on shared value is deepened by identifying a diverse range of imbricating logics that can be used to discern a more nuanced connection between business and society. Last, these ideas are grounded in a relevant field study context –that of CSR activities in Egypt–, providing more knowledge, over time, of specific actors’ translations of CSR policies into business organisations’ strategies and practices.

For Mobile Networks Too, Sustainability Is Key [Mobile Radio

As world leaders convened in Glasgow in early November 2021 for the 26th Conference of the Parties and pledged their support to measures aimed at averting the impeding climate crisis, mobile network operators, device manufacturers, and service providers are joining in with efforts to create a more sustainable ecosystem. The measures range from increasing energy efficiency to reducing power consumption, with the goal of accelerating network carbon neutrality.

Long-Term Relationship Building and Customer Switching Behaviour in the Mobile Telecommunication Industry in Nigeria

This paper examined long-term relationship building and customer switching behavior among mobile telecommunication operators in Nigeria. The population of this study includes all mobile telecommunication company and their subscribers in Edo State, Nigeria. The samples for this study were drawn from Mobile Network Service Providers and their subscribers. For service providers, three (3) out of the nine (9) mobile network operators were selected (Nigeria Communication Commission NCC, 2020). Morgan and Krejcie's (1970) sampling methods were implemented to choose a sample of 322 mobile telecom subscribers Godden (2004). The paper employed regression analysis to analyze and test the hypothesis formulated. The result showed that long-term relationship building (Two-way Communication, Customer retention Strategy, Customer Loyalty, and Relational Bond) had a positive statistically significant relationship with customer switching behavior among mobile telecommunication operators (Network service providers) at p&gt;0.05. The research recommends among others that players of the mobile telecommunication Industry (mobile network service providers) should embrace the application of long-term relationship-building to achieve, sustain and retain customers' usage of their products, this will enable them to compete better with other players in the industry. Also, they should engage in relational bonding aimed at creating attachment with the customer leading to customer retention and subsequently profitability.

Prioritizing the influencing factors of utaut-2 model toward mobile network service providers

Technological developments have a major impact on user behavior. The rapidly evolving communication system and technology have provided numerous choices for people. The ever-shifting changes in the generation of communication networks have posed challenges for mobile network service providers to attract and retain customers. This study aims to prioritize the determinants of the adoption of mobile network service providers using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2). In this study, data were collected from 660 mobile phone users in Haryana, India. A fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (F-AHP) was applied to arrange the priority or rank the factors based on the significance of the factors in explaining the adoption of mobile network service providers. Results of the study reveal that efforts expectancy is the highest-ranked and prioritized factor for the adoption of mobile network service providers followed by performance expectancy and facilitating conditions. However, social influence emerged as the least important factor. The present study provides theoretical implications for future researchers by synthesizing and prioritizing the important factors affecting technology acceptance. The practical implications offer a clearer insight to marketers for developing focused pragmatic strategies to retain customer loyalty. The study has considered only UTAUT-2 model constructs and used the F-AHP technique. Other factors may be considered in future studies. Other priority analysis techniques can also be used such as ISM and MICMAC analysis for further study. The research has been conducted in Haryana, India, and therefore, it needs to be tested in other areas/countries for generalizability. JEL Classification: O1, O2, O4

Transitioning to Society 5.0 in Africa: Tools to Support ICT Infrastructure Sharing

Society 5.0 represents an opportunity to transform the economy and create a digital society with the goal of long-term sustainable development and economic growth. There is a growing importance of boosting ICT as an effective and efficient means of achieving this transformation, and Target 9c of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is to ‘Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries’. Mobile telecommunication systems have become the most effective and convenient means of communicating in the world, and as such, they are revolutionizing business operations. Nigeria is the fastest growing telecommunication market in Africa, with approximately 298 million subscribers accommodated by over 53,000 base transceiver stations (BTSs) which are largely concentrated in urban areas. As a result of increasing subscribers, all mobile network service providers in Nigeria are building new BTSs, often without considering existing infrastructure. This has led to a proliferation of masts, defacing the environment and causing unnecessary environmental pollution as BTSs are largely powered by diesel generators. It is therefore becoming paramount for the telecommunication regulatory body in Nigeria to enforce principles of infrastructure sharing and the colocation of sites for all mobile network service provider BTSs to improve network availability, reliability, scalability, customer satisfaction and sustainability. This paper argues, through the development of ICT tools and their application to a case study, that infrastructure sharing and colocation of sites is not only feasible if supported correctly but also offers the potential to reduce operational and capital expenditure, reduce the number of BTSs required for the rapidly growing mobile telecoms industry in Nigeria and in doing so reduce environmental pollution.

Modelling Students’ Preferences for Mobile Telecommunication Plans: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Aims: We employed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to investigate students’ preferences for mobile telecommunication plans in a South African University.&#x0D; Study design: Locally optimal DCE were constructed for our choice sets using readily available ideas from blocked fractional factorial designs. This is in contrast to other approaches that may be more complex practically especially when the number of attributes is large.&#x0D; Place and duration of study: The study was conducted in August 2017 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood Campus, Pinetown, South Africa.&#x0D; Methodology: Four hypothetical mobile telecommunication companies were considered and the selected attributes were call rate, data speed, customer service, premiums and network coverage. A two-stage sampling technique was used to select 180 respondents from the student population and data were collected via face-to-face interview. A blocked fractional factorial design in blocks each of size four was used to generate the choice sets used to obtain information from the respondents. An extra choice set was included to ascertain the consistency of the choices. Proportion of rational respondents was computed. Multinomial logit model was used to analyze the data and marginal willingness to pay estimates was obtained for the attributes.&#x0D; Results: The proportion of “rational” respondents was 74%. At 0.1% level of significance, the students valued all the attributes except data speed in the process of choosing a particular mobile network. Furthermore, marginal willingness to pay estimates showed that students preferred to pay 51 cents more per minute to have very good customer service. They also preferred to pay extra 13 and 45 cents per minute for more premiums and better network coverage respectively.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results provide empirical evidence of what students perceive as the most important factors influencing their choice of mobile network service providers and these may have decision-making implications for South African-based telecommunication companies.

Understanding Why People Change Their Technology Use in Protests: User Study on Ebonyi State Mobile Telecommunication Subscribers Experiences

The rise in consumers complains against their service/tech providers has empowered government of various nations to set up Consumer Complaint Commissions. Some corporate organizations who wish to handle the complaints of their customers usually set up an in-house/internal customer care centres, a platform through which they attend to their customers’ needs. This research therefore is interested in exploring the reasons for user-protests among the mobile telecommunication subscribers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria against their network service providers. To arrive at this, we designed a research questionnaire to capture the experiences of the subscribers of the 4 major mobile telecommunication network service provider companies operating in the state. The participants were recruited through physical administration of research instrument and social media such as facebook, whatsapp and email platforms with a total of 72 participants feedbacks received. The users responses on the various issues raised on our questionnaire were thematically analyzed and represented using adequate data presentation tools. Our results proved that there are growing numbers of disgruntled customers among subscribers of the various network providers. From our survey, we gathered that 81.90% of the respondents have engaged in protest use at one point or the other against their service providers with MTN network topping the list with 36.50%, followed by GLO network 27%, Airtel network 23.80% and 9 Mobile 12.70%. Finally, we proposed a design prototype named “Komplain” that will serve as rallying system for the protest users to use and prosecute their actions. The system can also recommend actions which the protesters may undertake.

Coordinated Allocation of Radio Resources to Wi-Fi and Cellular Technologies in Shared Unlicensed Frequencies

Wireless connectivity is essential for industrial production processes and workflow management. Moreover, the connectivity requirements of industrial devices, which are usually long-term investments, are diverse and require different radio interfaces. In this regard, the 3GPP has studied how to support heterogeneous radio access technologies (RATs) such as Wi-Fi and unlicensed cellular technologies in 5G core networks. In some cases, these technologies coexist in the same spectrum. Dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), which has already been proven to increase spectrum efficiency in licensed bands, can also be applied to this scenario. In this paper, we propose two solutions for mobile network operators (MNOs) or service providers to dynamically divide (multiplex) the radio resources of a shared channel between a Wi-Fi basic service set (BSS) and one or several carriers of scheduled wireless networks, such as cellular technologies, with a configurable level of sharing granularity. These solutions do not require modifications to the current commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) end devices. We adapt the existing IEEE 802.11 procedures to notify the Wi-Fi stations that they must share channels with different access networks. We demonstrate that our dynamic sharing proposals are also advantageous over direct coexistence and evaluate each of them quantitatively and qualitatively to determine when one or the other is preferable. The evaluation is particularized for IEEE 802.11ac and long-term evolution (LTE) license assisted access (LAA), but the solutions can be easily extended to 5G new radio-unlicensed (5G NR-U) or to any other wireless technology in which the network side schedules end device transmissions.

SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION EXPERIENCE AMONG SOUTH AFRICAN MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONSUMERS

Mobile networks have become the most utilized pathway of communication but very little information is available on customers’ experiences with respect to service quality and satisfaction. Through a survey, data was gathered from 1451 participants to examine customers’ experiences of service quality and satisfaction. The study investigated whether service quality and customer satisfaction experiences were different in respect of the mobile network operator used by the customer. This study is cross sectional by design and quantitative in nature. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather primary data from mobile network users. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. For inferential statistics, the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used. The results revealed that the mobile network operator used by the customer, had a significant impact on service quality and customer satisfaction levels. This study contributes academically by indicating how South African consumers perceive mobile network service providers. Furthermore, the study identifies shortcomings and areas of strengths of South African mobile network operators with regards to service quality and customer satisfaction.

Corporate brand image and switching behavior: case of mobile telecommunications customers in Zimbabwe

Mobile telecommunication service providers in Zimbabwe are using a brand image to market their products and minimize brand switching, resulting from increased market competition. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 385 participants in Zimbabwe. The sample size was determined using Rao software sample size calculator to extract an acceptable sample from apopulation of 1,973,906 inhabitants. Data were collected using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire and were also tested for reliability and validity using SPSS version 20. It was ascertained that 70% of the respondents’ switched SIM cards, 20% never switched, and 10% were indifferent to the different providers. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) showed that mobile network service providers’ brand image positively affects customer satisfaction, a positive relationship exists between mobile network service providers’ brand image and consumer brand switching behavior, customer satisfaction positively affects their loyalty. Corporate brand image indirectly affects customer loyalty through customer satisfaction. The researchers recommend marketers to consider the findings when designing strategies for marketing mobile network services. AcknowledgmentsThe authors of this paper greatly appreciate the support and cooperation they received from the Postal and Telecommunications Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) and research participants during the survey.

A Study on Customers Delight towards Mobile Network Service Providers with Special Reference to Coimbatore City

A Study on Customers Delight towards Mobile Network Service Providers with Special Reference to Coimbatore City

Factors Driving Subscribers Mobile Network Service and Provider Choice: An Exploratory Study from Ghana

This study examines the key factors influencing mobile network service and provider choice among 415 subscribers in Ghana. To meet the objectives of this research, an administered questionnaire of a descriptive manner was developed based on thorough review of literature and elicitation interviews. Exploratory data analysis was performed using statistical softwares and the results of the analysis was established on the aims of this research. Factors such as family and friends, network signal strength, low voice and internet rate, moderate cost of services, nationwide coverage, clear and uncongested network, consistent and dependable mobile network were essential to respondents choice in selecting one service provider over other alternatives. Interestingly, the company’s brand/participation in charity was among the least considered factors. Respondents chose fast data connectivity and rollover of data bundles as the most crucial factor to consider when switching to a new mobile network provider. Authors recommend that the mobile network providers should invest significantly in technological innovations that provide clear and uncongested network, enhanced coverage, faster data services and have lower call and data charges. Understanding the factors affecting subscribers to choose one service provider over the other can be very beneficial for mobile network service providers to learn more about their subscribers to attain and retain them and potentially contribute to the firm’s financial success. Keywords: mobile network service, mobile network service provider, subscriber’s choice, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/66-04 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

Service Quality and Consumer Choice of Their Preferred Telecommunications Service Provider in Ghana

This study examines the effect of service quality on customer choice. Specifically, it investigated the relationship between service quality dimensions and customer choice, examining the effect of service quality dimensions on customer choice and the service quality dimension most preferred by customers. The quantitative research approach was used with a sample of 250 respondents using purposive and convenient sampling technique. Questionnaires were used to collect the data and analyzed using SPSS version 21. With regards to the correlation variables, it showed a strong positive relationship between service quality dimensions and customer choice of a mobile network service provider and the regression variables showed a significant effect between service quality and customer choice indicating that service quality is very important and influence customers’ choice in choosing a mobile network service provider. It was recommended that Mobile network service providers should continue to improve on the service quality dimensions (empathy, responsiveness, reliability assurance, and tangibility). Since customers look out for these dimensions when choosing a mobile network service provider.

A virtualized resource management scheme for heterogeneous cellular networks

Because of random deployment patterns of femtocells, interference scenarios in a heterogeneous cellular network can be very complicated because of its changing network topology. Especially when each eNodeB occupies a fixed bandwidth, interference management becomes much more difficult. The benefit of dynamic management for local resource optimation is limited. Recently, resource virtualization has been proposed as a dynamic resource management scheme to optimize network performance. In fact, resource virtualization is viewed as a more flexible model, in which mobile network service providers can control physical resources in a global scope. This paper presents a joint resource virtualization and allocation scheme for its applications in heterogeneous macro-femto-cellular networks. The proposed scheme involves two major processes. First, it virtualizes physical resources as logical resources. Second, it carries out logical resource allocation optimization globally and aggregates logical and physical resources for resource allocation. The proposed scheme takes into account spectrum reuse and frequency domain interference jointly in order to achieve a high spectral efficiency and provide rate-on-demand services to all users. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.